Recipients of the Award

2015

Zarli French (MSD) has worked in the industry for 30 years and has been a significant contributor to building strong and collaborative relationships between the industry and health consumer organisations. A member of the former Medicines Australia Health Organisation Working Group, she was a key driver in the development of the Working Together Guide and the review and re-launch of the Guide in August 2015. The Guide is a collaboration between the Consumers Health Forum of Australia and Medicines Australia and includes information and guidance on how industry and health consumer organisations can work together based on core principles of independence, trust, fairness, openness, transparency, confidentiality and accountability. Zarli is a long standing advocate for the patient and for patient advocacy organisations. She is a member of the Heart Foundation Pharmaceutical Roundtable, which offers members the opportunity to participate in and develop evidence-based consumer health education and prevention projects with the Heart Foundation, with a particular focus on quality use of medicines and adherence.

2014

Andrew Carter (Commercial Eyes) has been part of the Australian biopharma industry for over two decades, commencing his career in 1990. In 2001, he saw an opportunity to use his experience in the healthcare sector to establish a business that provides commercialisation services to pharmaceutical and medical device companies. Andrew has actively participated in industry policy development through Medicines Australia committee membership, where he has provided ongoing support to deliver on strategic priorities that focus on the health and growth of the innovative biopharmaceutical sector in Australia. The unwavering commitment to the local biopharma industry is central to his achievement.

2013

Sara Pantzer (Amgen) for her contribution since 1995 in shaping the policy landscape for the Australian pharmaceutical industry and to ensure access to medicines for Australian patients. These include: participation in preparing the industry’s position on the Free Trade Agreement between Australia and the United States, which came into effect in 2005; contribution to the design and implementation of the PBS reforms negotiation in 2006; policy development around the Memorandum of Understanding agreed between the industry and Commonwealth in 2010 and co-leading the establishment of the Medicines Australia Oncology Industry Taskforce in 2012.

2012

Mendel Grobler (Pfizer) for his ongoing commitment over several decades to improving access to medicines for Australians and to the development of the Australian medicines industry.  He has been a key contributor to the shaping of the policy environment for the medicines industry in Australia and an important adviser on major policy issues, such as PBS reforms and the Memorandum of Understanding with the Commonwealth.

2011

The Collaboration for Health in PNG (CHPNG): The Collaboration for Health in PNG is a consortium of pharmaceutical companies working with NGOs to combat the rise of HIV/AIDS in Papua New Guinea. Through the CHPNG, more than 50,000 people in Papua New Guinea have accessed professional counseling and 3000 are currently receiving HIV care. The Collaboration has provided workshops for 250 doctors, nurses, health administrators, counselors and lab technicians. The work of the CHPNG has made a material difference to the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS in PNG. The consortium includes Gilead, Boeringer-Ingelheim, MSD, ViiV, Janssen and Pfizer.

2010

Ms Dell Kingsford-Smith (Janssen) played an integral role in shaping and implementing significant improvements regarding access to medicines and business certainty for the industry, through her leadership on both the Access Strategic Committee and the Health Economics Working Group. In particular, Dell helped to drive a number of transparency initiatives including the publication of the PBAC agenda, PBAC outcomes and PBAC public summary documents. She was also instrumental in the evolution of the PBAC Guidelines. Amongst other things, a review of the Guidelines was required to take into account the advances in Health Technology Assessment theory.

2009

Will Delaat (Independent Chairman Medicines Australia) for significant contributions to the Australian pharmaceutical industry for over 35 years, including twelve years on the Medicines Australia board serving as Chair, Vice Chair and Board member. He has been instrumental in significant policy changes or initiatives and significant relationship building activities to extend the industry’s circle of influence and collaborative and constructive approaches in working with Government.

2008

Mitch Kirkman (Novartis Pharmaceuticals Australia) for outstanding leadership and commitment to the pharmaceutical industry in Australia, including exceptional achievement as Chair of the Research and Development Taskforce from 2004 to 2008, securing a much improved the regulatory environment for clinical trials in Australia.

2007

Michelle Burke (Bristol-Myers Squibb) for her outstanding leadership of the PBS Reform Implementation Group.

2006

Mr David Grainger (Eli Lilly) for outstanding leadership and commitment to the development of the pharmaceuticals industry in Australia, including his exceptional contribution as Chair of Medicines Australia’s PBS Reform Taskforce.

2005

Dr Graeme Blackman (IDT Australia) for his role in steering the Pharmaceutical Industry Action Agenda since its conception in 2000.

2004

Post-PBAC Review Committee. The Post-PBAC Review committee excelled in the negotiations undertaken with the Department of Health & Ageing in securing recommendations to post-PBAC process that will assist the industry in more timely and transparent market access. The committee actively led industry’s involvement in the review from mid-2003 until it’s conclusion. The committee members were: Mr Jeays Lilley, AstraZeneca; Mr Steve Crowley, Janssen-Cilag; and Ms Michelle Burke, Bristol Myers Squibb.

2003

No Award Given

2002

Pharmaceutical Industry Action Agenda Team. The team included Sara Pantzer from Merck Sharp and Dohme, Michelle Burke and Jenny Johnston from Bristol-Myers Squibb, Justin Ooi from AstraZeneca and Paulette Quang from Medicines Australia.The team devoted long hours and their knowledge from mid 2001 through to August 2002 to tie the strings together from an industry plan which emerged from the early work of the Leaders Group and Forums which were held during the process.